By today’s standards, Aphrodite, the goddess of love, would be considered a slut. She was as free with her sexual favors as possible, because, well, she was made to be! Now Harry isn’t exactly searching for an Aphrodite whilst on his trek to Delos, but it’s past time he took a wife. He needs an heir. Trouble is, he’s not attracted to any of the available debutantes back in London. He is rather attracted to Stella Jones, though, even if he doesn’t yet know it.

“If I were to tell you I am a bit ignorant in my knowledge of Greek mythology, what would you tell me of Aphrodite?” Harry asked, one corner of his mouth lifted in what Stella interpreted as a teasing grin.

Stella allowed a shrug, wondering if the explorer was teasing her. He seemed educated, but she supposed not all students learned Greek history. “Well, she was not a contem­porary of Zeus and the other Olympians, at least not at first,” Stella replied after a moment of contemplation.

“Younger?” Harry guessed, his brows furrowing. He had always assumed she was just another Greek goddess, daughter of a philandering Zeus.

“Older, actually. She was created when Cronus castrated Uranus and tossed his …” Stella suddenly stopped speaking, her face taking on a blush that showed pink through her sun-kissed skin.

Harry paused and regarded Stella for a moment. “His … what?” he prompted before his eyebrows suddenly arched up. “You’re blushing,” he accused.

“I am not,” Stella stated with a shake of her head. Suddenly emboldened, she added, “His severed genitals. Cronus tossed them into the sea, which caused a white foam to form on the surface of the water. Then Aphrodite emerged from the sea foam.”

One hand instinctively moving to his crotch, Harry tried but failed to suppress a wince at hearing the tale. Although he couldn’t remember any sea foam, he wondered about the iden­tity of whoever must have suffered the same fate the day Stella appeared from the sea whilst he stood on the beach on Delos. Despite having just heard what had happened to those belonging to Uranus, the memory of his Aphrodite’s appearance had his own genitals coming out of hiding.

“That is why she was the goddess of love and lust. Her sole purpose in life was to do nothing but …” Stella faltered again, her face continuing to display the pink of embarrassment.

Harry regarded Stella for a long moment. “Make love?” he guessed, his eyes suddenly darkening. Something about the way Stella gazed at him had him blinking, had his body quak­ing in a way it had never done before. Jesus, she is beautiful, he thought at the same moment the earth seemed to shift beneath his feet. A temporary feeling of vertigo had him blinking again before he inhaled sharply.